Core Insights - The article discusses the intense work culture at Cognition, which has adopted a 996 work schedule for employees from Windsurf after its acquisition, emphasizing a lack of work-life balance [2][5][15] - Windsurf, once a promising AI programming company, faced a failed acquisition by OpenAI, leading to significant changes in its workforce and structure [6][7][10] - The trend of high-pressure work environments is spreading in Silicon Valley, with many startups adopting similar practices to test employee loyalty [4][20] Company Overview - Cognition was founded by Scott Wu, Steven Hao, and Walden Yan, all of whom are international Olympiad gold medalists in informatics [16] - The company’s core product, Devin, is described as the world's first AI software engineer capable of autonomously executing complete engineering tasks [17] - Following the acquisition, Cognition's employee count increased fivefold, integrating many from Windsurf [19] Financial Aspects - Windsurf was acquired for $250 million, a significant reduction from its expected $3 billion valuation during negotiations with OpenAI [15] - At the time of acquisition, Windsurf had an annual recurring revenue of approximately $82 million, comparable to Cognition's revenue [18] - The acquisition deal was structured to benefit both investors and employees, with $1.2 billion allocated to investors and the remaining $1.2 billion for employee incentives [11] Industry Trends - The article highlights a growing trend among AI startups where large tech companies acquire key personnel and technology without direct acquisitions, often leading to layoffs and restructuring [21][22] - Major companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft are increasingly engaging in this practice, reshaping the competitive landscape of the AI industry [21][22] - The article notes that the high-pressure work culture is becoming normalized in the tech industry, with some investors advocating for even more demanding schedules [5][20]